Cornish, who also co-wrote last year's The Adventures of Tintin for Steven Spielberg, has been hired to take on a project described as a "high-octane adventure set in the prairie lands of an unknown time".

"Oldest son Roman Taylor struggles to keep his family's small farm afloat as the area heals from a devastating world war. While the rest of his family may not trust the mysterious boy with the jetpack, Roman believes the secrets of Jet's past may be the key to their survival."

Rust will be a rare non-writing gig for Cornish, suggesting that his star has risen as a film-maker in Hollywood since Attack the Block pushed him into the limelight. Despite Attack the Block's minimal commercial impact (it had a worldwide box-office take of $5.8m, against a £9m [$13m] production budget), the critical acclaim with which it was greeted has created heavy buzz around the British former co-host of the long-running Adam and Joe TV show.

As well as the Tintin gig, he's also set to write Marvel Studio's long-gestating Ant Man movie for regular collaborator Edgar Wright. Rust, meanwhile, has been adapted by The Devil Wears Prada's Aline Brosh McKenna from Royden Lepp's original comics.